The Cecil Whig., 1887-11-05
A Review of the Campaign.

n htSit" ol IHS SdHIIedlSh II.
Before another issue OF THE WHO
the qualified voters of the county will
have declared by their suftrages to
whose hands the administration of
county affairs shall be entrusted for an
other term of two years. Reviewing
our own participation in this campaign,
we have nothing to recall, as having
been intemperately said or rashly as
serted. In advocacy of the ticket pre-
sented by the Republicans of the
county we have distorted no facts, IN
dalged no unworthy personalisms, at
tackled the character of no man, and
have not sought to belttle in any sense
the candidates of the opposition. We
have urged upon the taxpayers of the
county, the advisability of a change
in local administration. In support of
our opinions as to this public necessity,
we have not been influenced by un
worthy personal considerations, but
from an honest conviction that the
property interests of the people would
be benefited by such change of admin
istration. The Democratic party in
Cecil county has only repeated the his
tory of majority parties in general. Long
continued party supremacy is certain to
end in careles administration of public
trusts, and in impaired recognition of
party responsibility to the people. Mr..
Cleveland never uttered more forci-
Bile trueism whether his own or bor-
rowed from another, than when he said
''that public office is a public trust"
But the tendency with all parties long
in power, is to treat public offices as
individual perqulsites to be dispensed
by party leaders for the use and benefit
of party followers. The fact gets to be
overlooked, that the paramount obliga-
ton of every office holder is to the
people to whom that Office belongs,
and in whost interest it should be ad-
ministered. Party leaders seem to
treat public offices as though they were
their private property, to be bestowed
upon individual favorites as rewards
for partlzan service, and oftlCe-seekers
are excited to active effort to secure
public Office, simply by zeal and devo-
ton to the personal interests of inhuen-
tlal party leaders. In how marked a
degree this has been the case in Cecil
county. For years past the Demo-
cratic party has been so well assured of
its majority, that the contest for party
spolls has at every recurring election
degenerated into an angry and embit-
| tered warfare between the leaders of
unreConCiable factions. Sometimes
| one faction has been successful then
another. Between the two has stood
the office seeking element of the party,
undecided as to which faction it prop
erly belongs, until the prospect of sue
cess or defeat has settled the question
of individual allegiance. This class has
rapidly increased during the last ten
years. Out of every such contest the
party has emerged the weaker, by reason
OF the disappointments and failures OF
individual aspirants for place, until to-
day, like an aged man broken down by
the accurnulating infirmities of years,
it totters to its defeat, borne down by
the weight of Its own weakness as an
organization. But one result of these
faclional contests in Cecil, has been to
consolidate the most intelligent taxpay-
ing elements of the Democratic party
into a class by themselves. They have
refused through self-respect to be iden-
tilted with either faction. or to be rec
ognized as the thick and thin followers
of any leader They are not Office
seekers, and are not to be Influenced
by the appeals Of those vino are. 1t is
to this class that we look this fail for a
rescue of the county, from the faCtional
misrule, that is rapidly tending to the
business embarrassment and material
injury of our people. They see in the
| rapidly increasing Indebtedness of the
county, the pressing public demand fH
better business judgment, and wiser
management in county affairs. 1t is
more important to them to have COM
petent men in office, than to see this
man or that succeed in his political as
pirations. 1t is to this class reasonable
argument can be made, and to them
we have appealed during this campaign.
We have done SO IN a spirit of candor
and fairness, and not by the use Of
vituperation and abuse of those who
honestly differ with us politically. 1t
has been well said, that the cause which
has no better support than the personal
abuse OF those who oppose it, is not
worth aiding and deserves defeat. We
believe the influence of the class of
Democrats just referred to, will be felt
at the polls on Tuesday next, and that
the ticket presented for their support
by the factional combination which at
present rules their party is, with few
exceptions, not entitled to and will
not receive their support.
The Democratic Economic trade mark